Asterina
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| Nardo , 1834 |
Asterina is the name of a genus of starfish from the family Asterinidae in the order of the valve stars (Valvatida). Of the 30 species described, 15 are recognized.
description
The starfish of the genus Asterina are small to very small. They are flattened at the top and have five very short arms so that they have an approximately pentagonal outline. The lime flakes in the skin on the top are crescent-shaped, giving it the look of a knitted pattern.
The Asterina genus is the smallest known starfish, Asterina phylactica, which is only 1 cm in size . Asterina gibbosa reaches a diameter of 5 cm.
These starfish live hidden under stones, in crevices or other hiding places. Unlike other starfish, there are several species of hermaphrodites , with Asterina gibbosa first being a male and then a female, while Asterina phylactica is a simultaneous hermaphrodite. The embryos feed on egg yolks . In Asterina gibbosa they hatch directly as Brachiolaria larvae and immediately undergo the metamorphosis into starfish. Other species of this genus such as Asterina phylactica and Asterina pancerii, on the other hand, hatch their young, so that finished starfish leave the mother's care.
Starfish of the genus Asterina feed on detritus, carrion , dead plants or the coating of the rocks consisting of algae and bacteria , for which the starfish turn out the stomach and press against the ground.
species
According to the World Register of Marine Species (2019), the following 15 species belong to the genus Asterina :
- Asterina fimbriata Perrier , 1875
- Asterina gibbosa ( Pennant , 1777)
- Asterina gracilispina H.L. Clark , 1923
- Asterina hoensonae O'Loughlin , 2009
- Asterina krausii Gray , 1840
- Asterina Lorioli Koehler , 1910
- Asterina martinbarriosi Lopez-Marquez et al. , 2018
- Asterina pancerii ( Gasco , 1870)
- Asterina phylactica Emson & Crump , 1979
- Asterina pusilla Perrier , 1875
- Asterina pygmaea Verrill , 1878
- Asterina squamata Perrier , 1875
- Asterina stellaris Perrier , 1875
- Asterina stellifera ( Möbius , 1859)
- Asterina vicentae Lopez-Marquez et al. , 2018
literature
- Robin G. Crump, Roland H. Emson (1983): The natural history, life history and ecology of the two British species of Asterina . Field Studies 5 (5), pp. 867-882.
Individual evidence
Web links
- Christopher Mah: Asterina Nardo , 1834. In: Christopher Mah: World Asteroidea database. World Register of Marine Species , 2019.